Collapsible box structure



Sept. 14,1943. N. GLADSTElN 2,529,605

COLLAPSIBLE BOX STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 19, 1942 I INVENTOR MIMI: Gladatezn BY v p a I,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1943 The present invention. generally relatesflto cs1; lapsible box structures, andespeciallythe kind" adaptedto be readily; stored "imparts within; a minimum ofspace prior to beingassembleda-- provide .a pluralityof relatively simple; extremely inexpensive; butxeffeotivez boa-reforming; units; which are readily assemblableztmproducsas tuili 1 box-.;structure;x..and rwhicnrzunitslmayfibe eemw The prime object of the -present =invention is to 51 .-ciroul'rrffe'rencev requiredsii For "flit-37511111330581 member zl Lashemmirirdetaii ini Figsrircomprises a long-itudma-li strip; whichiforms: the-vertica'hwail'l o of :the: finishedrbox body; Onezor: mOIG IOfESIIChJ sid-elmembersn-m ayybe usedxdependingiuporr the e avoiding; theremploymenteof; ine.conomica*l',t-; longs stripsrofamateria'l;iwhichraremnwieldy a'ndeoccupyo considerable space inzstoringe I prefer to provideie relativelyi SIIOIflITPiGCESHWhiChT I interlock-with: one

storediand :stoeked in -their:flatpositionuand are 10 anothem as -indicated i at I 3 a inribrokenzilinegiwin provided withs-simpl'e, Ibut'aefientive'cand positive la lockinganeans;awhiolnfaicilitate'thelreadysmounts ingwf a.:box- Stfllctlli'ifitiitheimjIiimUm-eX1ia'idi tune-of laboriand timer: z

Another rjobject' of.izthi's;.inventioiiuis to: provide- 1 locking:instrumentalitiesafonisaid units:whieh lare s0 arranged/that whent they. =.are':for:ce'd intd terengagementzmithi onelzanother one setzofithe locking-r elements- *will: temporarily conform in Fign3v 5 The atop, andxbottomzi members, iSl'l'OWI'l-iiilililhfi first-ntwo ---figures;. com-pris "discs zprovided Jwithl arcuated slots oraopenin'gs, wwhicharerprefere ably evenly-spaced fromvonevanothemz From: side member: IZ-iextendsi'aqicorresponding number f r-2 I I substantially;iarrow-rshapedidoekingreelementsr-i 5;; adaptedtotbe'iorced through slotsi--I I,:whereupon-n they iinterlockiwith the slots: 'Iheematerialifromia shape :to '"the-i'other :set:ofiwlocking ielements and Z IJ-Whieh the -box units are rmadeamust be ofza-suifieu also; momentarily ayielcl iandrslightlyl deiorm until the .fina-lEpOint of:interlocldngiislreached, wherenon mhe-yieldinglelementsiwill revertto substan tially their original shapeas they-securely? engagethexothenelementss. I

The?foregQiIlgllalndi i'still'.f1111l;he1: bj ectsl wand ii important advantages oof-the present -inventi -will become more fully apparentairom the ensuing description and theaccompany-in g-dr'avving; showing -;presently:;- preferred formsglof rmqr. z e e which iillustrationsihowever:are not in any waydesigned cto restrict-Line tothee-specific -structures disclosed-.z. In'the drawing :5

Fi -J11 "is; a aside zelevation not ira cylindric'al box 1;

structure. inraceordanceawith invention;- U.)

Fi g-r2 is atop viewthereofgci 1 Fig. 53 is J21. wplan viewi visa-longitudinal perip eralymemberrformingpart of -tl l'bfix structure; I Figs-.4 is. a :plan view of'a top or bottcm menrberof :anoval bcxstructure; "l0 Fig. 5 :is :awperspective viewofa substantially cubical box structure; Figs-6 -is;.a planzviewaof theltop opbottom -m em bervof an:oblongeboxcstructure;-

cient resilien cy;.to;facilitat'e theintendedooopera-"a 1 tion; between;-1ocki-ng\:;:elements I 5 randcthellslotsez Durin :rth'el locking; operationzthe bodiesootlreleemerits I5 must:temporarily:conform:toithesshapes:

: 'eofy .theaslots; and-rtheeundercut;ien'dsnofetherelen 3 0*"? the-:slot, the tundercut ends. of the ielementszlobka ye etheends ofrthe slot; 4

In Fig. '7 I have illustrated in .detailltheacom-c struction of :j.therinterlocking ,elementsi'i Thereis ShOWII 'ZaIL' arcuate'd :slo't llltinlionefii'pal'fiofi11311825 structurie I'III and al -substantially; arrowfesh'apedi-el locking element: I 5 extending from' memberrz I 2'1 Broken lines I6 indicates: the alternative ushape of a-'locking;-element; such as employed J'JIIiFlESZ 2 and -3. :It VWil'l" be eeobsenved rthat 1 locking.

mentyl Storms: an 'integral'partbf member 'eandn I comprises Ia solid zbodyuportiorrzl Liter-Initiating substantially; reduced-flips: I 8, whichn are iseparated from the body ,of member I2" 'b5ti under+- cut's;-;l These undercuts IpIOVid'-(a.'%1Ed1led conneetiomor: neokwZ finbetweenabodytl I of therel'enrent t and'thei body-of member ::I 2" It willtzbeseobserved ci that the Width dimensionv-oiwneck t2 0 is rsomewhatisf less ithans the'elengthnof S1012"? I M as vindicated-I ,abyo broken extension lines 2|. Whenmowolockingr element I5 is forcibly passed throughislot ll,

theobodyril I: of thexlockingcelementwv'rlr curve in conformity with the arc of slot I4, and end or tips I8 of element IE will be momentaril pressed inwards until they have passed through the slot. At that moment they resume substantially their original position, and positively interlock with the ends of slot l4. At the same time body I! will also revert to substantially its original flat shape, although it may remain slightly curved, as indicated in Fig. 1, which however is not objectionable.

In Figs. 1 to 3 I provide slots in the top and bottom members, while from the side member or member extend locking elements IS. A reverse arrangement is shown in Fig. 8 where locking elements l are stamped out from within the bodies of top member 22 and bottom member 23, whereas arcuated slots H are out along the top and bottom marginal edges of peripheral member 24. In this arrangement the arrow-shaped lockin elements are bent towards each other before they are passed through their respective slots in the circumferential member.

While in Figs. 1 and 8 round box structures are indicated, it is quite obvious that the shape of the box structure may be altered. In Fig.4 an

oval top or bottom member 25 is shown, provided with a correspondingly higher number of arcuated slots 28. Similarly in Fig. 6 an oblong top or bottom member 21 is illustrated, in which are provided arcuated slots 28. In Fig. 5 a small container is shown with substantially squareshaped top and bottom'members 29 and 30, both provided with four slots for the reception of a corresponding number of interlocking elements extending from side member 3|. It will be observed that the interlocking elements shown in Figs. 1 to 5 remain extending upwardly, although they may be folded down if desired. 1

In all of the constructions illustrated and described, the interlocking of the elements takes place in the same manner as explained in connection with Fig. 7. It is immaterial whether the shape of the locking element is of a pointed form, shown in Figs. 2 or 5, or is of a roundedshape, seen in Fig. l, as long as it substantially conforms to an arrow-shaped structure wherein the body of the locking element is connected with the body of the member from which it extends by a distinct neck portion and wherein the tips or ends of the element possess straight engaging edges produced by a straight undercut. Such undercut, in the structure'shown in Figs. 1 and 5, corresponds approximately to the thickness of the box material. In the construction illustrated in Fig 8 the neck portion is somewhat longer.

The interlocking arrangement for the peripheral member or members [2 is identical with that employed for connecting the top and bottom members, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2, wherein an arcuated slot 32 is shown at one end of thelongitudinal member and'a corresponding substantially arrow-shaped interlocking element 33 at the other end. The number of end interlocking elements may of course be multiplied when a wide peripheral member is employed for a high box structure. T

While I'have illustrated and described specific constructions of my collapsible box arrangement, be it understood that changes and improvements may be readily incorporated therein within the broad scope of my invention, as defined in the annexed claims. I

I claim:

1. In a collapsible box structure, top and bottom members and at least one longitudinal peripheral member in engagement with the former members, locking means arranged with all members and comprising uniformly spaced, arcuated peripheral slots in the top and bottom members and correspondingly spaced, substantially arrowshaped locking elements provided at the top and bottom edges of the peripheral member, said locking elements forming integral parts of said latter member and being sufficiently resilient and so constructed that, when forced through their corresponding slots, they temporarily conform to the arcuated shape of the latter and yield, but

spread immediately to substantially their original shape upon having passed through the slots and lockingly engage both ends of the slots.

2. In a collapsible box structure, as set form in claim 1, said locking elements comprising solid body portions terminating in substantially reduced ends at their broadest dimension, undercuts separating these endsvfrom the body of the member from which they are formed, said undercuts forming necks of a Width slightly less than the length of said slots.

3. In a collapsible box structure, a flat top member, a similarly shaped bottom member, a plurality of spaced, arcuated slots arranged marginally along the peripheries of both members, a peripheral member disposed between and connecting the top and bottom members, a plurality of substantially arrow-shaped, undercut locking elements extending from both edges of and constituting integral parts of said peripheral member and in looking engagement with the slots of the top and bottom members, the dimensions of the undercuts of the locking elements corresponding to the thickness of material of said top and bottom members, the undercuts forming necks connecting the bodies of the elements with the body of the peripheral member, and the Width of the necks beingsomewhat, less than the length of the slots, said undercuts rendering the ends of the elements yieldable so that they may be temporarily deformed while the elements are forcibly passed through the slots, whereupon they resume their original position and engage both ends of the slots.

4. In a collapsible box structure, as set forth in claim 3, said peripheral member comprising a through the slots and bowing them temporarily to the shapes of the slots, said elements being adapted to assume their flat shapes after having passed through the slots, and to engage with both of their undercut end tips both end edges of the slots.

NATHAN GLADSTEIN. 

